Environmental well inspections falling short, GAO says

Environmental inspections of oil and gas facilities on public lands have soared since 2007, but federal investigators said Monday that the government is doing a poor job of targeting the riskiest sites.

In a new report, the Government Accountability Office faulted the Bureau of Land Management for not including information about the environmental inspection history of many wells in its central database for tracking oil and gas facilities on public lands.

As a result, the inspection prioritization process “does not have sufficient information to ensure that wells receiving inspections are those that pose the greatest environmental risk,” said the GAO, Congress’ investigative arm. Other problems include “inconsistent documentation of inspections and enforcement actions and challenges with retaining and hiring environmental staff in some offices.”

Bureau staff acknowledge that they sometimes have to go by their own memory in deciding which wells to visit, because the bureau’s computer database doesn’t allow them to flag individual wells as high priority for environmental concerns.

The Interior Department agency said it is working on changes that will help target environmental inspections to sites with the highest risk, including adopting electronic permits that will provide additional data as recommended by the GAO.

Data on the environmental condition of many wells is also incomplete. According to the GAO, there is no record of an inspection for about 41 percent of the roughly 60,330 oil and gas wells on lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management.

Some of the gaps are credited to a temporary shutdown of the database, under a court order, in 2005. Inspection records also may have been deleted as a result of lease transfers and sales.

More inspections

Still, the government agency is inspecting oil and gas facilities more often.

In 2007, the bureau conducted 10,941 environmental inspections at federal oil and gas wells and facilities. In fiscal 2012, that number had climbed to 17,866.

The increase has been driven by a greater concentration of wells at a single site, making it easier to verify the environmental conditions around more than one at a time.

The report documented other changes in bureau workload, including a continued decline in drilling permit applications overall, as the oil industry’s interest has turned to drilling in dense rock formations more often found on private land.

Lower natural gas prices also have contributed to a decrease in the number of applications for permits.

North Dakota boom

Oil drilling is the exception. The bureau’s North Dakota field office has been swamped with applications to drill, amid a new oil boom in the Bakken formation. While the office had just 84 applications for permits to drill in fiscal 2007, it logged 287 last year — a more than 240 percent increase.

To process the rush of permit proposals, the bureau assembled strike teams with roughly a dozen staffers from other field offices and charged them with processing the applications for about three weeks.

Long waits

The Government Accountability Office said it was unable to reliably assess the number of days it took the bureau to process drilling permit applications before fiscal 2012 because the relevant data was often missing from the agency’s central database.

But in a 2013 internal memorandum cited by the report, the bureau said it had not been able to meet a 30-day statutory deadline to either approve or defer completed permit applications.

And in fiscal 2012, the GAO found, it took an average of 229 days for the agency to process drilling permit applications.

A worker adjusts hoses during a hydraulic fracturing operation at an Encana Corp. gas well, near Mead, Colo. The first experimental use of hydraulic fracturing was in 1947, and more than 1 million U.S. oil and gas wells have been fracked since, according to the American Petroleum Institute. The National Petroleum Council estimates that up to 80 percent of natural gas wells drilled in the next decade will require hydraulic fracturing. less

A worker adjusts hoses during a hydraulic fracturing operation at an Encana Corp. gas well, near Mead, Colo. The first experimental use of hydraulic fracturing was in 1947, and more than 1 million U.S. oil and ... more

Photo: Brennan Linsley / ASSOCIATED PRESS

Image 2 of 29

A worker adjusts pipes during a hydraulic fracturing operation at an Encana Corp. well pad near Mead, Colo. The first experimental use of hydraulic fracturing was in 1947, and more than 1 million U.S. oil and gas wells have been fracked since, according to the American Petroleum Institute. The National Petroleum Council estimates that up to 80 percent of natural gas wells drilled in the next decade will require hydraulic fracturing. less

A worker adjusts pipes during a hydraulic fracturing operation at an Encana Corp. well pad near Mead, Colo. The first experimental use of hydraulic fracturing was in 1947, and more than 1 million U.S. oil and ... more

Photo: Brennan Linsley / AP

Image 3 of 29

A worker watches over a hydraulic fracturing operation at an Encana Corp. gas well near Mead, Colo. In the background is a tall canvas wall around the perimeter of the extraction site, which mitigates noise, light and dust coming from the operation during the drilling and completion phase, which generally takes a few weeks. less

A worker watches over a hydraulic fracturing operation at an Encana Corp. gas well near Mead, Colo. In the background is a tall canvas wall around the perimeter of the extraction site, which mitigates noise, ... more

Photo: Brennan Linsley / AP

Image 4 of 29

Mike Hamilton, ground and crew supervisor for Bayou Well Services, keeps watch over a hydraulic fracturing operation at an Encana Corp. well pad near Mead, Colo. It takes a few weeks for the half dozen wells on a typical pad to be fracked, after which the petroleum products are extracted for years by operators like Encana. less

Mike Hamilton, ground and crew supervisor for Bayou Well Services, keeps watch over a hydraulic fracturing operation at an Encana Corp. well pad near Mead, Colo. It takes a few weeks for the half dozen wells ... more

Photo: Brennan Linsley / AP

Image 5 of 29

A worker wears a protective helmet decorated with stickers during a hydraulic fracturing operation at a gas well, near Mead, Colo. The first experimental use of hydraulic fracturing was in 1947, and more than 1 million U.S. oil and gas wells have been fracked since, according to the American Petroleum Institute. The National Petroleum Council estimates that up to 80 percent of natural gas wells drilled in the next decade will require hydraulic fracturing. less

A worker wears a protective helmet decorated with stickers during a hydraulic fracturing operation at a gas well, near Mead, Colo. The first experimental use of hydraulic fracturing was in 1947, and more than ... more

Photo: Brennan Linsley / AP

Image 6 of 29

Workers talk during a hydraulic fracturing operation at an Encana Corp. well pad near Mead, Colo. Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, can greatly increase the productivity of an oil or gas well by splitting open rock with water and/or sand pumped underground at high pressure. less

Workers talk during a hydraulic fracturing operation at an Encana Corp. well pad near Mead, Colo. Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, can greatly increase the productivity of an oil or gas well by splitting ... more

Photo: Brennan Linsley / AP

Image 7 of 29

A machine mixes sand and water, left, before it is pumped underground during a hydraulic fracturing operation at an Encana Corp. well pad near Mead, Colo. Hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking,"is the practice of injecting water, sand and chemicals into source rock to crack it and create escape routes for oil and gas. less

A machine mixes sand and water, left, before it is pumped underground during a hydraulic fracturing operation at an Encana Corp. well pad near Mead, Colo. Hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking,"is the practice of ... more

Photo: Brennan Linsley / ASSOCIATED PRESS

Image 8 of 29

A worker climbs down a from a machine that mixes sand and water, left, before it is pumped underground during a hydraulic fracturing operation at an Encana Corp. well pad near Mead, Colo. Hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking,"is the practice of injecting water, sand and chemicals into source rock to crack it and create escape routes for oil and gas. less

A worker climbs down a from a machine that mixes sand and water, left, before it is pumped underground during a hydraulic fracturing operation at an Encana Corp. well pad near Mead, Colo. Hydraulic fracturing, ... more

Photo: Brennan Linsley / AP

Image 9 of 29

A worker climbs down a from a machine that mixes sand and water, left, before it is pumped underground during a hydraulic fracturing operation at an Encana Corp. well pad near Mead, Colo. Hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking,"is the practice of injecting water, sand and chemicals into source rock to crack it and create escape routes for oil and gas. less

A worker climbs down a from a machine that mixes sand and water, left, before it is pumped underground during a hydraulic fracturing operation at an Encana Corp. well pad near Mead, Colo. Hydraulic fracturing, ... more

Photo: Brennan Linsley / AP

Image 10 of 29

A technician inside a trailer monitors and directs the pressure and mix of water, sand and chemicals pumped during a hydraulic fracturing operation at an Encana Corp. well pad near Mead, Colo. It takes a few weeks for the half-dozen wells on a typical pad to be fracked, after which the petroleum products are extracted for years by operators like Encana. less

A technician inside a trailer monitors and directs the pressure and mix of water, sand and chemicals pumped during a hydraulic fracturing operation at an Encana Corp. well pad near Mead, Colo. It takes a few ... more

Photo: Brennan Linsley / AP

Image 11 of 29

Technicians inside a trailer direct the pressure and mix of water and chemicals pumped into an Encana Oil & Gas (USA) Inc. well during hydraulic fracturing, outside Rifle, in western Colorado. Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, raises concern among some that the chemicals used and hydrocarbons released can contaminate groundwater. Industry officials say an absence of documented, widespread problems with fracking proves the process is safe. less

Technicians inside a trailer direct the pressure and mix of water and chemicals pumped into an Encana Oil & Gas (USA) Inc. well during hydraulic fracturing, outside Rifle, in western Colorado. Hydraulic ... more

Photo: AP

Image 12 of 29

Perforating tools, used to create fractures in the rock, are lowered into one of six wells during a roughly two-week hydraulic fracturing operation at an Encana Corp. well pad near Mead, Colo. Proponents of hydraulic fracturing point to the economic benefits from vast amounts of formerly inaccessible hydrocarbons that now can be extracted with hydraulic fracturing. Opponents point to potential environmental impacts, with some critics acknowledging that some fracking operations are far cleaner than others. less

Perforating tools, used to create fractures in the rock, are lowered into one of six wells during a roughly two-week hydraulic fracturing operation at an Encana Corp. well pad near Mead, Colo. Proponents of ... more

Photo: Brennan Linsley / AP

Image 13 of 29

Mike Hamilton, ground and crew supervisor for Bayou Well Services, walks past the well heads during a hydraulic fracturing operation at an Encana Corp. well pad near Mead, Colo. It takes a few weeks for the half dozen wells on a typical pad to be fracked, after which the petroleum products are extracted for years by operators like Encana. less

Mike Hamilton, ground and crew supervisor for Bayou Well Services, walks past the well heads during a hydraulic fracturing operation at an Encana Corp. well pad near Mead, Colo. It takes a few weeks for the ... more

Photo: Brennan Linsley / AP

Image 14 of 29

A worker watches over a hydraulic fracturing operation at an Encana Corp. gas well, near Mead, Colo. In the background is a tall canvas wall around the perimeter of the extraction site, which mitigates noise, light and dust coming from the operation during the drilling and completion phase, which generally takes a few weeks. less

A worker watches over a hydraulic fracturing operation at an Encana Corp. gas well, near Mead, Colo. In the background is a tall canvas wall around the perimeter of the extraction site, which mitigates noise, ... more

Photo: Brennan Linsley / AP

Image 15 of 29

A worker watches over a hydraulic fracturing operation at an Encana Corp. gas well pad, near Mead, Colo. In the background is a tall canvas wall around the perimeter of the extraction site, which mitigates noise, light and dust coming from the operation during the drilling and completion phase, which generally takes a few weeks. less

A worker watches over a hydraulic fracturing operation at an Encana Corp. gas well pad, near Mead, Colo. In the background is a tall canvas wall around the perimeter of the extraction site, which mitigates ... more

Photo: Brennan Linsley / AP

Image 16 of 29

A worker walks among huge pumps and other equipment at the site of a hydraulic fracturing operation at an Encana Corp. well pad near Mead, Colo. The first experimental use of hydraulic fracturing was in 1947, and more than 1 million U.S. oil and gas wells have been fracked since, according to the American Petroleum Institute. The National Petroleum Council estimates that up to 80 percent of natural gas wells drilled in the next decade will require hydraulic fracturing. less

A worker walks among huge pumps and other equipment at the site of a hydraulic fracturing operation at an Encana Corp. well pad near Mead, Colo. The first experimental use of hydraulic fracturing was in 1947, ... more

Photo: Brennan Linsley / AP

Image 17 of 29

A worker checks a dipstick to check water levels and temperatures in a series of tanks at an Encana Oil & Gas (USA) Inc. hydraulic fracturing operation at a gas drilling site outside Rifle, Colorado. Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, can greatly increase the productivity of an oil or gas well by splitting open rock with water, fine sand and lubricants pumped underground at high pressure. Companies typically need several million gallons of water to frack a single well. In western Colorado, Encana says it recycles over 95 percent of the water it uses for fracking to save money and limit use of local water supplies. less

A worker checks a dipstick to check water levels and temperatures in a series of tanks at an Encana Oil & Gas (USA) Inc. hydraulic fracturing operation at a gas drilling site outside Rifle, Colorado. Hydraulic ... more

Photo: AP

Image 18 of 29

A worker uses a headset and microphone to communicate with coworkers over the din of pump trucks, at the site of a natural gas hydraulic fracturing and extraction operation run by the Encana Oil & Gas (USA) Inc., outside Rifle, in western Colorado. The technique of hydraulic fracturing is used to increase or restore the rate at which fluids, such as petroleum, water, or natural gas can be recovered from subterranean natural reservoirs. less

A worker uses a headset and microphone to communicate with coworkers over the din of pump trucks, at the site of a natural gas hydraulic fracturing and extraction operation run by the Encana Oil & Gas (USA) ... more

Photo: AP

Image 19 of 29

A worker helps monitor water pumping pressure and temperature, at an Encana Oil & Gas (USA) Inc. hydraulic fracturing and extraction site, outside Rifle, in western Colorado. Hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking," occurs after oil and gas wells are drilled and frequently in between drilling phases. The process uses millions of gallons of water mixed with smaller amounts of fine sand and chemicals to split open oil- and gas-bearing rock often located more than a mile underground. Fracking typically occurs in conjunction with other modern drilling techniques, such as directional drilling. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley) less

A worker helps monitor water pumping pressure and temperature, at an Encana Oil & Gas (USA) Inc. hydraulic fracturing and extraction site, outside Rifle, in western Colorado. Hydraulic fracturing, or ... more

Photo: AP

Image 20 of 29

A worker uses hand signals to communicate with a co-worker over the sound of massive pumps at an Encana Oil & Gas (USA) Inc. hydraulic fracturing and extraction site, outside Rifle, in western Colorado. Millions of gallons of water are pumped down well holes to split open oil- and gas-bearing formations in the hydraulic fracturing process. Much of the water used at this site was being recycled to save money and avoid wasting precious local water supplies. less

A worker uses hand signals to communicate with a co-worker over the sound of massive pumps at an Encana Oil & Gas (USA) Inc. hydraulic fracturing and extraction site, outside Rifle, in western Colorado. ... more

Photo: AP

Image 21 of 29

A worker helps monitor water pumping pressure and temperature, at the site of a natural gas hydraulic fracturing and extraction operation run by Encana Oil & Gas (USA) Inc., outside Rifle, in western Colorado. Proponents of hydraulic fracturing point to the economic benefits from vast amounts of formerly inaccessible hydrocarbons the process can extract. Opponents point to potential environmental impacts, with some critics acknowledging that some fracking operations are far cleaner than others. less

A worker helps monitor water pumping pressure and temperature, at the site of a natural gas hydraulic fracturing and extraction operation run by Encana Oil & Gas (USA) Inc., outside Rifle, in western Colorado. ... more

Photo: AP

Image 22 of 29

A rig drills for natural gas which will eventually be released using hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, on leased private property outside Rifle, in western Colorado. Once drilling is completed, wells are fractured to allow the flow of gas from deposits typically more than a mile underground. less

A rig drills for natural gas which will eventually be released using hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, on leased private property outside Rifle, in western Colorado. Once drilling is completed, wells are ... more

Photo: AP

Image 23 of 29

Workers adjust piping during a short pause in water pumping during a natural gas hydraulic fracturing operation at an Encana Oil & Gas (USA) Inc. drilling site outside Rifle, in western Colorado. The first experimental use of hydraulic fracturing was in 1947, and more than 1 million U.S. oil and gas wells have been fracked since, according to the American Petroleum Institute. The National Petroleum Council estimates up to 80 percent of natural gas wells drilled in the next decade will require hydraulic fracturing. less

Workers adjust piping during a short pause in water pumping during a natural gas hydraulic fracturing operation at an Encana Oil & Gas (USA) Inc. drilling site outside Rifle, in western Colorado. The first ... more

Photo: AP

Image 24 of 29

Workers tend to a well head during a hydraulic fracturing operation at an Encana Oil & Gas (USA) Inc. gas well outside Rifle, in western Colorado. The first experimental hydraulic fracturing occurred in 1947. More than 1 million U.S. oil and gas wells have been fracked since, according to the American Petroleum Institute. less

Workers tend to a well head during a hydraulic fracturing operation at an Encana Oil & Gas (USA) Inc. gas well outside Rifle, in western Colorado. The first experimental hydraulic fracturing occurred in 1947. ... more

Photo: AP

Image 25 of 29

Workers stand atop water tanks while they help keep an eye on water pressure and temperature at a hydraulic fracturing operation run by Encana Oil & Gas (USA) Inc., outside Rifle, in western Colorado. The first experimental use of hydraulic fracturing was in 1947 followed by the first commercially successful applications in 1949. More than 1 million U.S. oil and gas wells have been fracked since, according to the American Petroleum Institute. less

Workers stand atop water tanks while they help keep an eye on water pressure and temperature at a hydraulic fracturing operation run by Encana Oil & Gas (USA) Inc., outside Rifle, in western Colorado. The ... more

Photo: AP

Image 26 of 29

A worker switches well heads during a short pause in the water pumping phase, at the site of a natural gas hydraulic fracturing and extraction operation run by Encana Oil & Gas (USA) Inc., outside Rifle, in western Colorado. Proponents of hydraulic fracturing point to the economic benefits from vast amounts of formerly inaccessible hydrocarbons the process can extract. Opponents point to potential environmental impacts, with some critics acknowledging that some fracking operations are far cleaner than others. less

A worker switches well heads during a short pause in the water pumping phase, at the site of a natural gas hydraulic fracturing and extraction operation run by Encana Oil & Gas (USA) Inc., outside Rifle, in ... more

Photo: AP

Image 27 of 29

A hydraulic fracturing operation is underway at a site outside Rifle, in western Colorado. In the background, a battery of yellow tanks hold water for the job at an Encana Oil & Gas (USA) Inc. gas well. Pump trucks are parked in front of the tanks. Workers control the flow of water, sand and chemicals into the well heads, left, from an operations trailer, center far right. Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, raises concern among some that the chemicals used and hydrocarbons released can contaminate groundwater. Industry officials say an absence of documented, widespread problems with fracking proves the process is safe. less

A hydraulic fracturing operation is underway at a site outside Rifle, in western Colorado. In the background, a battery of yellow tanks hold water for the job at an Encana Oil & Gas (USA) Inc. gas well. Pump ... more

Photo: AP

Image 28 of 29

A worker uses a dipstick to check water levels and temperatures in a series of tanks for a hydraulic fracturing operation at an Encana Oil & Gas (USA) Inc. gas drilling site outside Rifle, Colo. Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, can greatly increase the productivity of an oil or gas well by splitting open rock with water pumped underground at high pressure. The process typically requires several million gallons of water per well. In western Colorado, Encana says it goes to great lenghts to recycle over 95 percent of the water it uses for fracking to save money and limit use of local water supplies. less

A worker uses a dipstick to check water levels and temperatures in a series of tanks for a hydraulic fracturing operation at an Encana Oil & Gas (USA) Inc. gas drilling site outside Rifle, Colo. Hydraulic ... more